Lily
by Indreamsoftomorrow
Summary: Part One of the 'Lily' trilogy. A mysterious young woman with a bad attitude arrives in Lazytown to see a certain above average hero. Who is she and what does her presence in town mean? What will happen when she meets Mr. Rotten?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is a rewrite of my original series under the penname Dreamsofyesterday1. I hope I improve on what was already written before and any new readers enjoy the series. Here is the first instalment, enjoy!_

Lily

Flickering stars in the night sky over a sleeping town dwindled as the sun outshone their distant light and brought with it the morning. One resident was the first to greet the new day as the first fingers of sunlight reached the windows of his floating home and drenched him in their warmth. His eyes opening wide and nostrils flaring as he awakened and took a deep refreshing breath, stretching to remove the vestiges of sleep from his limbs before leaping from his cosy bed. Taking a long, lingering, look towards the window at the growing strength of the sunrise he smiled and cartwheeled into the middle of the floor to kick-start his day with his favourite routine.

Little knowing as he stylishly made his bed and started to warm up for his morning exercise what the day would bring.

Down on the ground, out of the hero's view a young woman wearing a green sleeveless vest top and cropped trousers of the same colour was watching the airship. A soft breeze teasing at the shoulder length brown hair that hung about her ears as her cold blue eyes traced the familiar shape of it. Many years had passed since she'd seen it, or he who dwelled within. A soft smile touched her lips as she imagined just how he'd react when he saw her.

Bending down, she reached into the bag she'd discarded by her feet when she'd arrived and pulled out a letter canister. Unscrewing the top, she turned it upside down and shook out the sheet of paper inside. It fell into her hand and she gripped it as she let go of the canister for a moment, letting it fall softly on top of her bag. Holding the brief, but attention grabbing note open, she gave it one last read before rolling it up again. With another smile she picked up the canister once more and placed the note inside. Her eyes scanned the odd little town before her as she sought a means of shooting the canister up to its intended target.

It was not long before her eyes fell upon what she was looking for and, picking up her bag, she walked casually towards it.

Sportacus was just finishing up his exercises and turning his mind to what he would have for breakfast when the letter canister shot up through the floor. With his flawless reflexes he incorporated the motion of grabbing it in mid-air with a spiralling handspring.

"I have a letter," he smiled, gladdened by a chance for social interaction and pulling off his new move. As soon as he read letter he dropped it in shock, the cylinder clattering loudly onto the floor closely behind it. "Lily." was the one word he spoke.

So focussed was the young lady on the ground looking up at the airship that she didn't hear the light tramp of a pair of trainers approach her.

"Who are you?" asked a high pitched voice behind her.

She turned and saw a girl wearing a pink dress and with pink hair. She smiled as she looked the girl up and down; she was a head and shoulders taller than the pink girl. The girl in pink looked confused and obviously wanted to have her question answered.

"Lily" came the answer in a sing song voice, "and you are?"

"I'm Stephanie," answered the pink girl and held out her hand wanting it to be shaken.

Lily looked down at the hand and instead of shaking it she kept her hands by her sides and cocked her head, a white toothy smile mocking the offered hand. Stephanie shrugged and took her hand back. Looking down at her feet somewhat intimidated by the smile Stephanie tried to think of something to say. When she looked up again the smile was still there and the head still cocked, there was something about this girl that Stephanie didn't like.

"You're new around here aren't you?" Stephanie finally said.

Lily straightened her head and the smile shrunk a little its intensity weakened slightly, "Yes I am. However did you guess?" retorted Lily, yet again making Stephanie look at her feet.

It was a great relief to Stephanie when Ziggy and Pixel came up to her to see who the new arrival was. The only reaction Lily gave to their arrival was a raised eyebrow and a somewhat sarcastic half smile.

"Who's this Stephanie?" Ziggy asked bouncing up and down, excited to see a new face in town.

"Ziggy, Pixel, this is Lily. She's new in town." Stephanie introduced. ' _And a little rude too,'_ she thought, trying not to show it.

Both boys offered their hands to be shaken but like Stephanie they only got an overpowering, mocking smile and a cocked head. Both boys withdrew their hands and turned to look at Stephanie who shrugged imperceptibly.

"I think I'd better go and get my football before Stingy finds it and thinks it's his," Pixel finally said, awkwardly, sparing a quick and intensely uncomfortable look at Lily before walking off at speed.

Torn between his still somehow lingering excitement at seeing someone new, and not wanting Stingy to claim anything else he found lying around, Ziggy pulled a face. It was after his reaction prompted a short, mocking laugh from the source of his excitement that he remembered he had a lollipop at home that needed eating. Without a word or motion he sloped away leaving Stephanie alone with the unfriendly girl.

Alone at least until Sportacus came somersaulting from the airship, coming to a stop behind Lily. Initially Stephanie felt a surge of excitement when she saw her favourite hero but it was quickly dampened as she took in the uneasy smile he gave her, so far removed from the warmth of the greeting he would always give her.

"You took your time," Lily condescended not turning around to look at Sportacus.

A confused and slightly concerned Stephanie turned her eyes from Lily onto Sportacus. There was something definitely wrong, his uneasy smile vanished as his eyes found the back of Lily's head and his arms flexed slightly. He seemed, Stephanie almost couldn't believe it….annoyed.

"Sorry. I hadn't expected to hear from you." He finally spoke, the emotion Stephanie had guessed clear in his tone as he continued, "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I might get a change of scenery; it does a person good sometimes." Lily purred in response, still not turning around.

"You know each other?" Stephanie finally chimed in, feeling brave enough to speak.

"Yes of course," Sportacus gave a small chuckle, his countenance warming as he looked down at Stephanie. "She's my sister."

Stephanie was taken aback by this. Sportacus had never mentioned any relatives and especially not a sister. More able to study Lily's features with a pout instead of a smile present she could see the resemblance between them. She felt dismayed about Sportacus only telling her he had a sister when she just happened to turn up and the disappointment showed visibly on her face. She was rewarded with a harsh chuckle from Lily who thought it weak of Stephanie to show she was hurt. Lily's reward for the chuckle was a stern look from Sportacus.

The shift in emotions on Stephanie's face hadn't been missed by him. She could be rude to him but to his friends….to a child.

"Ladder!" Sportacus called and motioned for Lily to climb it. Lily frowned defiantly but after another stern look she ascended the ladder.

Once Lily was in the airship Sportacus knelt down so he was more level in height with Stephanie and put a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry for not telling you about Lily, Stephanie. I didn't think you'd ever meet her and I never thought I'd see her again nor did I hope to."

"You didn't want to see your own sister?" Stephanie asked surprised.

"No I didn't. Lily isn't a very nice person as I suppose you've found out. We never got on when we were younger, I don't know why but we never did. I have no idea why she's here either and I will find out. Hopefully she won't stay very long either; she can be a bit of a trouble maker. How about I come and play football later when I've spoken to Lily?"

"Yeah Sportacus. I'd like that." Stephanie smiled again, cheered by Sportacus' promise.

Sportacus nodded and watched as Stephanie ran to join the others. It was obvious they were asking Stephanie what had been said as they all had surprised looks on their faces after Stephanie had been speaking for a few minutes. Sportacus shook his head and smiled, he then climbed the ladder to deal with Lily.


	2. Chapter 2

When he stepped off the platform as he re-entered the airship Sportacus noticed Lily walking around aimlessly with a look of impatience on her slender, pretty face. Not seeming at all impressed with what was his home as she made a loose circuit around it. So far she'd chosen not to acknowledge his return. He was well aware that there was nothing unusual to this behaviour of his sister's. She was doing as she always had done, even though it had been years since they'd last encountered one another he remembered it well. If anything it allowed him a chance to study her while her piercing, judging eyes were occupied on things other than him.

Her hair was longer than he remembered and was styled in such a way that it framed her face without obscuring it. Her body seemed slightly different, as though recently she had gained weight when before she had been thinner. The change was not drastic, nor did it seem at odds with her lesser height. At her tallest she had always stood five inches less than him, making her his little sister in more ways than one. From what he remembered that had not in any way diminished the amount of strength she had or her unwavering ability to make even those much larger than herself feel intimidated.

But when it came to doing the same to children…

Remembering how she had made Stephanie feel, and was sure to have made the boys feel, irked him. Not one quick to anger he pushed the feeling aside but struggled to forget that his sister was the one person that had always given rise to his dormant temper. Now out of the presence of the girl who looked up to him he allowed his emotions to show on his face. Lily had ignored him long enough

Lily looked up from where she had been watching her fingers follow the trickles of the water dispenser when she heard a small cough and crossed her arms as she faced Sportacus. She raised an eyebrow waiting for him to speak.

Reluctantly he did so, with a question. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd already answered that question." Came the impertinent return.

Sportacus nodded, momentarily sucking in his lower lip. "You did, I know. But I'm not sure I'm satisfied. It's been three years since I last saw you, since anyone last saw you. Why are you here now?"

Lily turned, opening her arms as she shrugged slightly. "I was in the area and heard a Sportacus had once again come to Lazytown. I thought perhaps it was our father but it turns out it was you, my big brother. A proper hero now."

Not missing the quick look up and down Lily gave him, Sportacus moved on, needing more information. "Now you've seen I'm here, what do you plan to do?"

"Oh, I'm not sure." Lily shrugged whimsically, as she traced a lazy circle with her footsteps. "I thought we could reminisce a little. After all, it's been three years since we last saw each other. A lot can happen in that time."

"Where have you been?"

"Since I left home?" Lily cocked her head, her lips spreading into a slow smile she shrugged. "With my friends."

Sportacus frowned slightly, "What kind of 'friends'?"

"Friends that enjoy certain elements of my company. As much as I enjoy elements of theirs."

There was something in this statement that Sportacus didn't like. He shifted uncomfortably, well aware of the reaction this was likely to prompt. Indeed, the low chuckle soon followed and he looked away as he heard her step towards him. He unconsciously took a step back.

Sportacus forced himself to look at his sister, not willing to allow her any more satisfaction from his inability to face her. "Do our parents know you're here? Who you left us to spend your time with?"

Another soft smile. "I wouldn't imagine so. I'm sure you're aware that when me and our darling father parted it wasn't on good terms. Tell me, did they miss me?"

"Of course. They loved you despite…everything."

Sportacus broke off, beginning to feel perturbed by the course of his and Lily's reminiscence, the darkness of feelings she was producing within him as painful memories eked out of the carefully constructed barriers he had built a long time ago.

Clearing noticing the shift in Sportacus' emotions, Lily smiled again and sauntered towards him. This time he remained where he was, the only movement he made was with his eyes as they carefully observed her. He had to keep still. He knew he had to. She was testing him, seeing if he remembered as clearly what had been in the past as she did. His breath caught in his throat as she came to a stop in front of him, leaning in as she stood on tip-toe and whispered into his ear.

"Are you still scared of me, brother?"

Making neither movement nor answer, he stood firm. He watched as his sister, still on tip-toe slowly raised a hand to his face. Despite himself he flinched visibly and raised his hands as he took an instinctive step back.

Lowering herself with a laugh, her question answered, Lily turned and took a step away before quickly turning back and rewarding her brother for his weakness.


	3. Chapter 3

Down on the ground, below the events unfolding in the airship floating above them, the kids were playing Basketball. Stingy and Trixie had joined the other three and been quickly filled in on the strange visitor and the intense discomfort she'd cultivated in the three that had had the misfortune of meeting her.

"If she'd have laughed at me like that I'd have punched her in the arm," Trixie had commented, balling her fist for emphasis.

Now in the middle of their game and somewhat distracted, they'd started to lose their unease and have fun.

"I can't believe that Lily is Sportacus' sister. She seems so mean." Ziggy thought out loud, holding the Basketball as he stopped dribbling. The others breaking from their positions as play stopped and walking towards him.

"I know," agreed Pixel, "to be perfectly honest she gives me the creeps. I don't know why but it's just something about her."

"It's not just you, Pixel." added Stephanie joining in the conversation, "she gives me the creeps too and I also think she's mean. She makes Robbie Rotten look like an angel."

The others laughed and agreed.

The conversation concluded the kids went back to their game, trying to ignore the fact that as yet neither Sportacus or Lily had emerged from the airship.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Robbie Rotten had been listening to the kids' conversation. He'd been looking through his periscope and caught sight of them playing. He'd watched them with disgust but the words they were saying interested him, Sportacus' sister eh? It seemed the kids were about as clued in about this sister as he was and she sounded quite interesting to him. He smiled as he started to feel the cogs in his head starting to turn, the formulation of an evil plan in the making.

Now, to see if he could bring that plan into fruition.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

* * *

As Sportacus sat on the floor cupping his stinging cheek he could feel the sensation lessening slightly. The heat radiating from it was nothing compared to the fire of the gaze upon him. He didn't want to look up at her, he didn't want to see her face contorted into a mask of disbelief at how he'd reacted to what would have been his 'reward' for flinching. The violent slap she'd given him in response, his punishment.

By daring to block her oncoming blow, grabbing her wrist in a vice-like grip as she'd swung her open hand towards him, he'd only prolonged the inevitable and received a much harder assault for his trouble.

His neck was aching from the sudden jarring movement it had endured as her palm had met his cheek at full force, snapping his head sideways with the impact. Made dizzy by the hit he'd allowed himself to sink to the floor and remained there. Though vulnerable in this position he was almost certain that his sister wouldn't rally another attack against him. In the periphery of his vision he could see her holding her wrist, supporting it as the bruises inflicted by his fingertips digging into her flesh came through.

Despite her being who she was, despite her having done what she did, he regretted his action in the face of defending himself. He wanted to apologise. If she had been anyone else, he would have done. But to apologise would be to look at her. To look at her would be to potentially invite another blow or see that face. To see those eyes that burned into him.

It was after an agonisingly long period of what felt like hours, when only a few minutes had passed, that he heard her turn and walk away. The familiar sound of the ladder being released from its compartment reached his ears and he felt a rush of air as the platform descended.

For a few minutes more he remained where he was. His body screaming at him to move, his muscles hating being unnaturally still. If he was honest with himself, he didn't feel safe to leave the spot he was on until he was totally sure that Lily had left. He couldn't see her anymore in the small, cautious, glances he made around him but that didn't mean she was really gone.

She'd fooled him that way before.


	4. Chapter 4

' _Now, if I want to find Sportaflake's sister, where should I start looking?'_ Robbie pondered as he gazed into his periscope, rotating it every so often to gain other views of the town.

Pulling it down and moving it slightly he pushed it back up, its spying eyes popping up into another area of town. Still there was no sign. Shifting the periscope's position again, to a point on the outskirts of town he caught sight of something interesting. Moving backwards to gain a better view he studied the object of intrigue more closely.

It was a giant billboard, topped with a row of lights and emblazoned with the image of a giant cow with a house on a hill behind, set to a backdrop of the purple mountains.

"Where did that come from?" Robbie asked anyone and no one, "that wasn't there yest….." He broke off as realisation dawned and taking his eyes and hands from his periscope he looked around, straightening his jacket and smiling as if to brush off his mistake. "Of course it was, I knew that the whole time." He chuckled before returning to the periscope.

Just in time for his eyes to be caught by a flash of green.

He whirled around to follow it, his eyes immediately finding their target. He followed with the periscope, trying to keep up but she was moving quickly. Suddenly she stopped walking. Almost as though she had sensed the periscope following her she turned around.

The moment her blue eyes met those of his periscope, Robbie felt his heart jump into his mouth. He felt something he had never felt before. He was certain that as she cocked her head as if to gain a better view of what was clearly staring at her, as if trying to see through the periscope to who was at the other side. As he stared at her he felt as though it was if she was looking directly at him. A sudden surge welled up within him as a slow smile dawned upon her flawless features and he found himself flat on his back on the floor.

She was stunning.

WWWWWWWWWWWWW

Lunchtime was approaching as the kids decided to wrap up their basketball game. For Stephanie it couldn't have come sooner. Though she'd allowed herself to have fun, trying to push down her foreboding about Sportacus' sister, her thoughts had chiselled away at her concentration and distracted her. Her ill feelings had returned when she'd caught sight of Lily leaving the airship.

The others hadn't missed the movements of the girl in green either. Her stealthy descent of the ladder, reaching its midway point before somersaulting from it, landing with cat-like grace on her feet and moving swiftly away. For their part they had chosen to ignore her, carrying on with their game. Missing the quick, spiteful look that had been thrown their way as she'd turned back for an instant.

One that Stephanie hadn't failed to notice.

Every once in a while she'd allowed herself to look up at the airship, missing a pass while her eyes were skyward. Sportacus hadn't come down like he'd promised. Lily had gone and he'd promised he'd come as soon as they'd spoken. A sick feeling had begun to claw at her stomach as she'd noticed time ebbing on. More than once she'd wanted to halt the game, wanting to voice her concern to the other kids but their apparent lack of the emotions she was feeling forced her to silence.

Everything was ok, it had to be.

Eventually, as Pixel called time on the game on account of his rumbling stomach, Sportacus emerged from the airship. None of the kids noticed at first, but there was something strange to his descent. A care in his movements he didn't normally seem to take. They seemed slower, more controlled and deliberate as he climbed down the ladder and came over to them.

"Sportacus?" Ziggy half whispered, a solemn question in complete contrast to his usual ecstatic exclamation when he saw his favourite hero. "Are you ok?"

Before Sportacus could say anything, Stephanie broke in, "Your cheek is purple and red! What happened? Have you hurt yourself?"

As the hero knelt down in front of them, the kids could see a myriad of emotions sweeping across his face. A deep discomfort that played out in the way his eyes avoided theirs, the way in which his mouth seemed to want to open and speak but remained poised on the verge of sound. His breaths in deeper than those coming out as he prepared himself to answer them but holding back on the edge of hurting their feelings.

At last he seemed to breach the tumult holding back his speech and gave a wan smile, "I was showing Lily some new moves I haven't practised properly yet. It went kinda wrong and I knocked myself on the floor. It's nothing. It'll be ok."

Sportacus only wished this was the truth as he looked at each of the kids and hoped they would accept what he'd said.

He was almost certain that Stephanie hadn't.


	5. Chapter 5

Robbie raised his head from the floor as he heard the sound of someone coming down the maze of pipework into his lair. He almost missed the muffled thud of a pair of feet as they touched down on the floor. A faultless landing from the end of the exit tube so far removed from those in which he seemed to specialise.

Pushing himself up into a sitting position he saw her standing there. Even in the dim light of his lair she was every bit as beautiful to him as she had been when he'd gazed at her on the surface through his periscope. She was watching him as he watched her. A thin smile curving her lips as she stood with her arms folded, her eyes tracing lines up and down what she could see of his body. He shivered despite himself as he reciprocated and his heart skipped a beat.

"Robbie Rotten, I presume?" The sound of her voice saying his name almost sent Robbie into a stupor but he fought it.

With effort he pulled himself up into a standing position, using the railings separating the pair of them as she took slow, methodical steps towards him. He turned, moving towards the steps to bring himself to the same level as her. With his eyes still staring at her he failed to notice his proximity to the steps and came tumbling down them, landing in a heap at her feet.

She raised an eyebrow as he lay there, staring up at her. He gathered himself quickly and stood in an instant, creaking as he did so. Answering her raised eyebrow with a chuckle he straightened his waistcoat and licked his lips.

"I am Rotten…Robbie….Robbie Rotten." The villain floundered, certainly less sure of his ability to speak than remain upright. "And you are Lily?"

Offering her most charming smile, Lily extended her hand and in an age old gesture Robbie took it, placing a soft kiss upon it. It was as much as he could do to release her hand, the softness of her skin noticeable against the roughness of his.

As a thought registered in Robbie's mind, he looked at the young woman before him and voiced it. "How did you know my name?"

Lily's smile grew slightly as she tossed her hair back, "Your reputation precedes you. My father, number nine, mentioned you on occasion from his time here. I'd never known him to speak ill of anyone until it came to you and your father."

' _Yeah I bet,'_ Robbie thought, well remembering his run ins with his current nuisance's predecessor.

"Of course," Lily continued, her arms folded again as she moved away from him, "The two of you did give him a lot of trouble. The things he used to tell us about, everything you used to try to get rid of him. Digging holes all around town, traps and trying to lace his sports candy with cake."

Robbie couldn't help but relive the feelings of satisfaction these tricks had given him and his father before he realised they worked about as well as everything he was trying now, working alone. As much as he and his father had wanted to believe they'd driven Sportacus Nine away with his constant misdeeds they'd been well informed by the hero before their parting that they'd done little to force the hero's leaving.

Life had simply done what the two villains couldn't.

"Well, if you're looking for Biff, the old man's not here. It's just me now." His satisfaction at old memories faded as he spoke the words and felt the bitter pang of loss sweep him again.

It was a sadness he swallowed quickly as he had done so many times before and watched Lily as she came to a stop in her wandering.

Her head turned slightly in his direction as she stood with her arms still folded, "My father heard about his passing. The accident. It sounded pretty nasty."

Barely allowing the memory of that day to surface, Robbie nodded. "It was. I don't think it was the way he'd envisioned leaving behind his fifteen-year-old son."

Trying not to think about his father anymore and wanting to change the subject, Robbie shook himself. Tentatively stepping forward he followed Lily's footsteps and stood in the space between her and his fuzzy chair that had become the focus of her gaze. Her eyes flicked up to meet his and he ventured, "So what brings Sportafar-" he stopped himself, almost allowing himself a little chuckle at the nickname he'd used to use for Number Nine, but not wanting to offend this unknown, "Sportacus Nine's daughter down here to see me? You're not here to tell me off for trying to get rid of your father all those years ago? Or stop me trying to get rid of Sportasquirt the same way?"

A truly evil smile stretched its way across Lily's lips as she turned on her fullest charm. Robbie felt his knees turn to jelly and he stumbled backwards, landing in his chair and staring up at her. He couldn't imagine what he must have looked like to her, flopped awkwardly amongst the orange fuzzy mass of his prized position. His answer came as she threw her head back and released a peal of laughter that seemed to echo around his lair. Not knowing whether or not to join her, he remained quiet and took in the image of her humour.

Ceasing her laughter and tossing her hair vivaciously, Lily levelled her intense eyes at the still prone villain and shook her head. "On the contrary, dear heart. I'm going to help you."

Whether out of relief or shock, Robbie chuckled lightly. His chuckle deepened into a laugh as he sat himself up and resisted the urge to throw himself at this irresistible enigma. What her motives were he didn't want to know. All he felt at this moment was that she was everything he'd been wishing for.

Clapping his hands on his thighs as he calmed himself, Robbie smiled up at his new ally. As she extended a hand he allowed her to pull him up and he stood. Looking down into her eyes he could see a plan already formulating within their depths. She was so bad it was good. It was very good.

Together they were going to get rid of Sportacus.

Forever.


End file.
